EU Elections

EUROPEAN ELECTIONS
Ferenczy highlighted that the EU’s enthusiasm
for India as a like-minded partner
is now mainly growing in light of an
aggressive China.
“The two share an interest in protecting
the Indo-Pacific as free and inclusive, and
share a fear of China’s growing power.
Trade diversification is a common interest
as both seek as independent a role as
possible in the Sino-American rivalry,”
Ferenczy said.
The EU is India’s largest trading partner
in goods and services, with bilateral trade
of over €100bn.
But according to Malhotra, if predictions
of a sharp shift to the right come
true at the EU elections, trade and economics
could be a policy area that could
be affected — with the arrival of more
free-trade sceptics in the European Parliament.
“This could lead to greater protectionism
at the EU level and adversely impact the
chances of an EU-India FTA. Also, the
anti-immigration nature of these parties
makes the prospect of the EU addressing
India’s concerns for a more liberalised
visa regime even slimmer,” Malhotra
said.
Talks to sign a free trade agreement
(FTA) with India have gained momentum
in the EU. But in January, the European
Parliament passed a resolution
urging EU leaders to consider an EU-India
FTA only if based on “comprehensive
human rights and sustainability impact
assessments.”
‘Good friends do not shy away
from criticising one another’
While the EU, through its delegation in
India, has resumed a local human rights
dialogue with New Delhi, leaders of the
bloc have largely been muted towards
condemning the Modi government over
its rights violations.
Modi has been criticised globally by
NGOs over his treatment of minorities,
particularly Muslims in India, and his
government’s crackdown on media organisations
and rights bodies, among
other clampdowns.
The main reason [behind the EU leaders’
silence] lies in trade and geopolitical concerns
according to Claudio Francavilla,
associate director for EU advocacy at Human
Rights Watch.
“The EU intends to develop close relations
with India, a country whose economy
and regional and global influence
are expected to rise significantly over
the next few years…However, silence
on human-rights abuse-risks represents
a serious strategic mistake,” Francavilla
warned.
He also noted that the EU itself also does
not get a free pass when it comes to human
rights issues, with Islamophobia,
anti-semtism, anti-immigration sentiments
and breaches in the rule of law on
the rise across the continent.
“But in Europe, one can at least rely
on strong institutions, procedures and
courts to intervene…Under Modi’s India,
adherence to human rights and democratic
values has been eroded, institutions
weakened, and civil society and
media freedom are under attack. This
authoritarian drift risks intensifying in
the longer term, and as that happens it
will be harder and harder for Europe and
India to be ‘like-minded’ partners,” Francavilla
said.
He added that “they should remember
that good friends do not shy away from
criticising one another when need be,
and intervene when mistakes are being
made.”
Moreover, with leaders of both regions
currently in campaign mode, pre-election
issues such as AI being used to manipulate
elections and misinformation
are also on the rise on both continents.
Malhotra thinks that both the EU and
India can also learn a lesson or two from
each other to tackle such problems.
Highlighting how the EU passed the
world’s first regulation on Artificial Intelligence
through its AI Act in December
last year, she said that “India could take
a leaf out of the EU’s book and consider
bringing its own law to regulate AI and
make it more responsible.”
“On the other hand, the EU can learn
from India’s long-term approach — articulated
in its Vision 2047 — instead of a
political leadership that mainly thinks in
terms of political cycles, up to the next
election,” she said. ◄
About
Priyanka Shankar
Priyanka Shankar is an independent
journalist from India currently
shuttling between Brussels and
South Asia, covering migration,
human rights and Europe’s relations
with Asia. She has written for
Al Jazeera English, Deutsche Welle,
The South China Morning Post,
BBC Travel, Lighthouse Reports,
Times UK, El Pais among others,
and been nominated for the Daphne
Caruana Galizia Prize for Journalism.
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